Of silence and other answers for fools

This statement of profound wisdom informed my silence in the wake of manipulated and unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing recently being levelled against me. They started a few weeks before the end of my first tenure and have continued to date. They range from allegations of embezzlement to mundane and phantom selling off the government property in the council’s domain, moving moribund plants from one farm or the other, which is being distorted.

Those who do not care whether they hurt innocent civilians and citizens of the Epe division or invade the privacy of other citizens in their mindless rage against me will have their rewards served upon them in the fullness of time. As far as my alleged involvement in embezzlement and misappropriation of funds is concerned, they remain only the products of the imagination of those who made the allegations.

When we all pause to reflect and think, we will realise that there are a sizable number of people on social media who are trying to run us down, who have no responsibility for security, public health, public education, and other responsibilities of government, and who borrow more on data to reflect distorted information for the people of Epe local government, whether collectively or individually. As far as social media is concerned, yes, there was misinformation, misleading, and gaffes in their reporting on Facebook and other social networks. That’s why many people are calling for social media regulation, because distorted information is dashing out for people on a daily basis.

One of the services was an upgrade and construction of a museum for the people of the council and the establishment of an e-library for the people’s use, as well as staff quarters for the staff and management of the council. There were other services that were new, like the procurement of ambulances for the Primary Healthcare Centres, the construction of waterways, the establishment of Ibile Boys, and ‘local security’ to curb the menace of cultism and arbitrary killing of innocent souls in the council area, as well as the annual maintenance cost for managing the established services.

It was for all these services that the local government is looking into with the regular payments of staff salaries, which the Lagos State procurement agency gave a No Objection based on the advice of the good works. Who are the people that are now dashing out misinformation on social media? The establishment of these and the execution of those giant works was the government tradition under my watch; the procurement agency knew about all these projects, including ongoing ones, only without detailing the other services, and this has been distorted by the agents of hate as their suspected “smoking gun.”

For those who are familiar with the council, they will know about these; even the blind can smell and feel it, while the deaf and dumb can even testify to these laudable projects in the Epe local government council. The entire document is with the local government council and is available for those who seek the truth, but not for those with flexible minds that are bent on destroying themselves through unguided thinking and incompetence capabilities of their mindset.

Continues on www.businessday.ng

Princess Surah Animashaun, incumbent Chairperson, Epe Local Government Council of Lagos State.